With days getting shorter and snowfall not-too-slowly creeping down the Hillside toward Anchorage, police say those trends are two of the reasons crashes involving vehicles and pedestrians peak in October.

Twice this week, pedestrians have been struck by Anchorage drivers. One man, 36-year-old Corbin Grassman, was found dead near the Old Seward Highway's intersection with 69th Avenue early Wednesday, while another man is still listed in critical condition after being hit Monday night near Bragaw Street and East 16th Avenue.

The total number of people hit by vehicles in Anchorage so far this year is 53, according to APD, with six fatalities.

"There's a lot of places where there is kind of (a) long gap between designated crosswalks," said APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro. "People just risk it, hope for the best, and that's when we end up of with these unfortunate situations."

Castro said municipal code allows people to cross roads when there is no available crosswalk, but pedestrians must yield to vehicles. She said it is best to make sure there is no oncoming traffic or nearby bends or curves in the road.

Last year APD reported 184 pedestrian accidents and eight fatalities. August and November also see high rates of crashes involving pedestrians.

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